Tariff of Abominations

The Tariff of Abominations was a protective tariff passed by the US Congress on 19 May 1828, designed to protect industry in the north. It was created during the presidency of John Quincy Adams and passed under President Andrew Jackson, setting a 38% tax on 92% of imported goods. A bundle of conflicting duties, some as high as 50%, it pleased and angered every economic and sectional interest. In South Carolina, merchants were angered by the tariffs, as they had worsened the declining shipping industry. A group of South Carolinian politicians headed by John C. Calhoun formed the "nullification" movement, which supported the idea that states could nullify federal acts. This ultimately led to the Nullification Crisis in 1832.